Another great crime thriller from Sarah Pearse
I previously really enjoyed The Sanatorium and The Retreat which are the two previous books in the Detective Elin Warner series, so I was excited to start The Wilds.
The majority of the book is set in a national park in Portugal, which makes for a great setting, this is something Sarah Pearse always excels - the settings of her books are always atmospheric and well detailed. The park is expansive, with a lot of trails, but also felt claustrophobic in places. The narrative alternates between Elin in the present, trying to enjoy a holiday with her brother but getting dragged into a missing person case and Kier in the past, before she went missing.
I enjoyed Kier's point of view in particular, as I found myself getting a little frustrated at the characters in the present narrative. The brother Isaac selfishly ruining Elin's holiday by dragging her into another case when she is so mentally scarred by the last one felt cruel. Elin also just isn't a very good detective and takes things far too personally which has annoyed me throughout the other two books as well.
I do recommend reading the other two books in the series before this one - although the crime being investigated is a standalone, there is a lot revealed about the overarching plot line in this book. I certainly wouldn't want to go back and read the other two for the first time if I'd read this one as it will spoil it somewhat. In her author's note at the end, Sarah Pearse mentions that this will be the final book focusing on Elin Warner. To be honest, although I've enjoyed the novels I've read in terms of plot and setting, I haven't engaged with Elin much as a main character, so I am excited for whatever project Sarah embarks on next!
Overall, The Wilds is a solid read and a fitting end for the Elin Warner trilogy - I'm excited for the next project from Sarah Pearse. Thank you to NetGalley & Little Brown Book Group UK - Sphere for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
